Chuck Norris Movies: Lone Wolf McQuade and 23 Other Action Films Remembered By the Martial Arts Icon – - Black Belt Adapted from an interview by Robert W. Young Lead photo by Rick Hustead – September 24, 2012 In the more than four decades he’s been in show business, Chuck Norris has built a name for himself that’s instantly recognized around the world. In his 2004 autobiography Against All Odds, Chuck Norris said he had to claw his way up from having a four-word bit part in his first film to being deemed worthy of starring roles in big-budget productions — all despite the naysayers who insisted that a mild-mannered karate champ could never make it big in Hollywood. Despite his success, Chuck Norris never forgets to give credit to those who helped him navigate his circuitous path to the top and always manages to find time to spread the magic of the martial arts to those who need it most — as is demonstrated in this Q&A from the Black Belt archives. Did Missing in Action and The Delta Force change history? Judge for yourself in this FREE download! It’s Chuck Norris talking about Chuck Norris movies! What more could you ask for to get your week started right?

Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies The Wrecking Crew (1969) Black Belt: Your movie career began in 1969 with an appearance in The Wrecking Crew. What do you remember about that role? Chuck Norris: (laughs) That’s going a long way back. Bruce Lee was the stunt coordinator on that film, and he asked me if I wanted to play this part. And I said, “Oh yeah, it sounds exciting.” So they gave me the script, and I had one line in it. I studied it for two weeks, trying to figure out how to say it. On the day of shooting, Bruce wasn’t even there. Before he went off to do something else, he said: “Oh, you know how to do the fight scenes. You don’t need me here.” But I was nervous as can be. My one line was, “May I, Mr. Helm?” which I had to say when Dean Martin walked into the club to see Elke Sommer and Nigel Green. As he walked in and I was sitting in this booth, I could feel my throat tightening up. I jumped up and tried to say, “May I, Mr.

Helm?” My throat froze up, and I couldn’t even say it. Of course, they didn’t care. Then I did the fight with Dean Martin, and it was fine. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Return of the Dragon (1973) Return of the Dragon included a monumental battle between you and Bruce Lee that people are still talking about. Yeah, that was amazing. Bruce had left for Hong Kong to pursue his movie career, and I didn’t hear from him for a couple of years. Then he called me out of the blue and asked if I would be his opponent in this new movie, which he was directing, as well.

He said, “I’m going to do this big fight scene in the Colosseum in Rome — a fight to the death, like two gladiators.” And kiddingly I went, “Well, who wins, Bruce?” And he said, “I win; I’m the star of this movie.” I said, “Oh, I see.” Because I held the world title then, I said, “So you want to beat the world champion?” And he said, “No, I want to kill the world champion.” I said, “Oh … OK.” Were you happy with the way the fight came out? Oh yeah. It became a classic. Even to this day it’s still … we just went to a Target [store], and in the DVD section there was only one copy of Return of the Dragon left on the rack. It’s amazing. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Breaker! Breaker! (1976) I remember Breaker! Breaker! — in which you played a trucker— because I saw it at a drive-in theater in 1976. Breaker! Breaker! was a real low-budget film.

We actually had to shoot a promo to get the investors to put up $240,000. It was my first strong acting role. Eighty percent of the people in it were my black belts — my students. It was fun to do, but it didn’t do much for my reputation because it was a trucking film. It wasn’t a “Chuck Norris movie” per se. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Good Guys Wear Black (1977) That was my first real film, and it was tough because there was a lot of dialogue. But luckily it had a lot of good actors — James Franciscus, Anne Archer, Lloyd Hanes — and they helped me a lot. We actually had to “four-wall” Good Guys Wear Black. No movie studio wanted the film, so we went out and four-walled it, which means we rented the theaters and whatever money came in, we could keep. I went around from market to market promoting the movie, and it did really well. What do you remember about the pivotal scene in which you execute a flying side kick through the windshield of the moving car? That’s really what sold the movie; it was the promo that brought a lot of people into the theater.

Producers didn’t think martial arts films had any life after Bruce Lee, but Good Guys Wear Black proved martial arts films still did have life. Now, that movie played in a lot of drive-ins. I went to one in Chicago, and cars were lined up for blocks to get in. I walked into the snack bar, and people started asking me to sign autographs. There was a line of women — because all the guys were watching the movie — and one of them was pregnant. Then her water broke, and she went into labor right there in the snack bar. I ran over, picked her up and put her on the table. Then we tried to get ahold of the husband, but he was watching the movie in one of the 2,000 cars in the drive-in. So they got on the speaker, and he finally came in. The ambulance arrived, and we helped her into it. She said, “If it’s a boy, I’ll name him after you.” (laughs) Of course, I never knew … Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies A Force of One (1978) Bill Wallace played the principle bad guy in A Force of One.

… That was a film Pat Johnson wrote when I was on tour with Good Guys Wear Black. It was doing very well, and the producers said, “Let’s do another film.” So I called Pat and said, “What do you think about writing a script?” And he said, “How about one with you as a professional fighter?” I said, “OK.” So he wrote A Force of One. No studio wanted this one, either. So I started the whole gambit again, following the same route I did on Good Guys Wear Black. And then A Force of One wound up out-grossing Good Guys Wear Black. Chuck Norris (right) and Bill Wallace in Force of One Photo from Force of One courtesy of American Cinema Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies The Octagon (1979) By that time, Good Guys Wear Black and A Force of One had grossed a lot of money, so the studios wanted The Octagon. American Cinema is the group that four-walled us; they became a public company, and they distributed The Octagon, as well. Who were your co-stars in The Octagon? Tadashi Yamashita was my adversary. Richard Norton was in it, as was Aaron, my brother.

All the guys I fought were my black belts. They were all wearing masks, and it was funny because I was fighting them, and after I’d knock them out, they’d run around and get back in [the scene] for a second time. I was knocking them out over and over again. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies An Eye for an Eye (1980) I played a cop in San Francisco. It was an OK film. The villain was Toru Tanaka, a big Japanese wrestler. He was a great guy. And Mako co-starred in it. It was fun to do. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Silent Rage (1981) In Silent Rage, the villain is injected with a chemical that makes him invincible. It was about a psycho who couldn’t die. It’s amazing that out of all my films, it’s the one that makes the most people come up to me and say, “Are you going to do a sequel?” I say: “What would I do? I tried every way in the world to kill that guy. Finally, I had to dump him down a well.

There’s nothing else I could do to him.” Chuck Norris (right) in Silent Rage Photo from Silent Rage courtesy of Columbia Tristar Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Forced Vengeance (1981) I played kind of a cowboy who was in a casino in Hong Kong, where he worked as a bouncer/bodyguard for the owner. It was OK, but it wasn’t something I was really excited about. I had a three-movie deal with MGM, and after doing Forced Vengeance, I could see the direction they wanted to go with me. So I talked my way out of the contract because that wasn’t the direction I wanted to go. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Lone Wolf McQuade (1982) Next up was another fan favorite, Lone Wolf McQuade, which was released in 1982. [Lone Wolf McQuade] is one of my favorites, too. It was great working with David Carradine and Barbara Carrera. I thought it was a good fight scene with David. Gil Reyes, the big muscle-bound guy I kept knocking out, ended up becoming Andre Agassi’s personal trainer right after the film came out.

Chuck Norris (left) and David Carradine in Lone Wolf McQuade Photo from Lone Wolf McQuade courtesy of Orion Pictures Because your character Lone Wolf McQuade always drank Pearl beer, I actually went out and bought some. It wasn’t that great. That reminds me … in the movie when I was in my truck, which had just been buried in the dirt, I took out a Pearl beer and poured it on my head [to revive myself]. Well, you forget that’s alcohol. I went, “Oh, man!” My eyes start burning, and I said, “What a stupid thing to do!” Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Missing in Action (1984) That film — all three of the Missing in Action films, actually — was very special to me. The first one, of course, dealt with the MIAs and my mission to rescue them. We shot it in the Philippines. In the second one, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, I was a prisoner of war who was trying to escape and all that stuff. It was a prequel. Breathe new life into your karate with this FREE download!

Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Code of Silence (1985) [Code of Silence] was my biggest critical success. I played a cop in Chicago, and Dennis Farina was one of my co-stars. It was probably the first movie where the critics really praised me. They called me the next John Wayne. Was that gratifying after having taken so much of the abuse that action stars always seem to take? It was nice to get good reviews, which I’d never gotten before. I always felt I was a people’s actor, not a critic’s actor. Steve McQueen once said: “Look, the critics can praise you to the end of the world, but if your movie makes $2, you’re not going to work. So the thing is, as long as people come and see your movies, you’re going to keep working, no matter what the critics say.” So when I got crucified by the critics, I’d try to keep that in mind. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Invasion U.S.A. (1985) That’s the one I shot in Atlanta and Miami.

I wrote that screenplay [after] I got the story out of a Reader’s Digest, which talked about what would happen if terrorists came into our country and started blowing up schools and buses and airplanes — things that would isolate our transportation system. [It was like] 9/11. Of course, in the film it was the Russians who were trying to scare us into not leaving our homes. And I saved the day. (laughs) Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Delta Force (1986) That was a good one, too, because it was a privilege to work with Lee Marvin. He was an incredible guy, a real macho guy. He was known for criticizing everybody — all his co-stars — and he never said nice things. Then they interviewed him right after we did Delta Force and asked him about me. He said: “I liked him. He was a cool guy.” So I thought, “Thank goodness.” Around that time, some of your martial arts fans started complaining that you were getting away from fighting with your hands and feet and getting into fighting with machine guns. … In that particular movie, it was appropriate because I was fighting terrorists [who had taken over] a plane.

But we had a good fight scene at the end. Most of it, however, was motorcycle riding and stuff like that. It was more of a stunt movie than a fighting movie. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Firewalker (1986) That was a script I loved. It showed a lighter side of my character, and I thought it would be fun not to have to be so serious, to just be a happy-go-lucky guy. It didn’t do the gross that the other films did, though. Had you always wanted to do a comedy? Not a comedy — I didn’t want to be comedic. I just wanted a lighter role, and that’s what I liked about Firewalker. It was great to work with Louis Gossett Jr. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Braddock: Missing in Action (1987) Tell us about your return to a more serious role in Braddock: Missing in Action. The third Missing in Action film was about the Amerasian children in Vietnam. The story was, I was married to a Vietnamese woman. I thought she was killed but she wasn’t. She was actually expecting a baby. Years later, I found out about it and went back to rescue them.

Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Hero and the Terror (1988) That was shot here in Los Angeles. It was a scary movie. The bad guy was a monster, a huge guy. It was OK, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Delta Force 2: Operation Stranglehold (1990) That was a film we shot in the Philippines, too. It was just an action film. I had a lot of fun doing it. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies The Hitman (1991) That was shot in Vancouver, Canada. It showed the darker side of my character — the opposite of Firewalker. I played a cop who was double-crossed by his partner and left for dead. Then he went undercover to crack this Mafia. And you really saw the dark side because he was a cold-blooded killer. He started questioning his loyalties, and being undercover for so long, he began to wonder who his true friends were: the FBI or the Mafia. That can actually happen to law-enforcement officers who go under deep cover. Sometimes their mind starts playing tricks on them. That’s what The Hitman was all about.

Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Sidekicks (1993) Sidekicks was very successful. A friend of mine put up the money for it — a guy named “Mattress Mac.” Mattress Mac owned — and he still does — one of the most successful furniture companies in Texas. He was actually the first man to put up money for KICKSTART, then known as Kick Drugs Out of America. I met him and his wife, Linda, at a charity function and started telling them about what I wanted to do with at-risk kids and all that. The next day, I went to their office and told them more about the program. Linda pulled out her checkbook and started writing. I was wondering how much they would give me — $5,000 maybe? I would have been excited about that, but she handed me a check for $50,000! Then Mac started promoting the program on his radio spots. All of a sudden, we had people coming in. I don’t know if I would have gotten it started without their help. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Hellbound (1994) It was an interesting movie, a little on the lighter side.

[My adversary] was the devil — or his helper or whatever, a guy who had lived thousands of years. King Richard actually entombed him, then hundreds of years later some guys opened the tomb and let him run rampant. It was half humor and half sci-fi. I enjoyed the trip to Israel, where it was filmed. Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Top Dog (1995) It was interesting working with a dog — even though they always say, “Never work with dogs or children.” This dog was incredibly smart. I was doing a scene where the dog and I were running, and we both had our marks to land on. I ran up and looked — and missed my mark by two or three feet — but the dog landed right on his. And they said, “Chuck, if a dog can land on his, you can sure as heck land on yours!” Chuck Norris on Chuck Norris Movies Forest Warrior (1995) [Forest Warrior] was a cute movie we shot in Oregon. I played a man who gets killed and becomes a spirit in the mountains. Then I help these kids. It’s a nice family film. Which is your favorite, and which are you most proud of?

I have to say I’m proud of them all. My favorite? That’s a tough one because each has a special [meaning] to me. The Missing in Action films were very special because they were really the ones that [took] me to a higher level [where I was] more in demand. They helped spearhead my career. Of course, Code of Silence is special because it was a critical success. And Lone Wolf McQuade was a fun film. About the Interviewer: Robert W. Young is the executive editor of Black Belt. For more information about Chuck Norris movies, visit chucknorris.com . Permalink: A List of 9 Popular Chuck Norris Movies Buy from Amazon When a group of Palestinian terrorists overtake a U.S. passenger plane, the Pentagon calls on Delta Force, a group of super soldiers, to save the day. Chuck Norris (Major Scott McCoy) and Lee Marvin (Colonel Nick Alexander) lead the way in a movie that has some far-fetched spots but never really falls short with its action sequences. Delta Force was not the last of its kind, spawning sequels. Check Amazon rating » continue reading below our video LeBron vs. Michael: Who's Better?

Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com Buy from Amazon A rare Chuck Norris supernatural thriller. In Hellbound, Norris plays an undercover policeman (Shatter) who, along with his partner Jackson, find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation that takes them to the Holy Land. There they find themselves not fighting to stop a murderer as much as fighting to save the world from a powerful satanic creature. Check Amazon rating » Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com Buy from Amazon Norris plays L.A. homicide detective Danny O'Brien, a true to life hero, that put the city's most fearsome serial killer (Jack O'Halloran playing Simon Moon) behind bars. The problem? His fame for doing this is undeserved, as his capture of Moon was nothing more than a fluke. So when the man they call "The Terror," escapes from jail, O'Brien gets the chance to really take down one of the scariest criminals of all-time. Check Amazon rating » Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com • The Hitman Norris (Officer Cliff Garrett) survives an attempt on his life from his former partner, a man with connections to the mob.

Garrett then makes it his business to infiltrate the mob as a hitman with the idea of taking it down from within. • Invasion U.S.A. Norris (Agent Matt Hunter) finds himself taking on a group of Soviet guerilla squads led by a man named Rostov, that are intent on creating widespread panic by shooting bazookas into homes, planting bombs in churches, and more. In the end, of course, Hunter takes on Rostov himself. Norris co-wrote this movie. Buy from Amazon Here's what you need to know about Lone Wolf McQuade. First, Norris plays a Texas Ranger. Second, his daughter gets kidnapped. And third, in the end, he takes on David Carradine, the villian. Can't get any better than a Norris vs. Carradine face off. Many believe that Lone Wolfe McQuade is one of his best movies. Check Amazon rating » Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com Buy from Amazon One of Norris's most well-known movies, Missing in Action featured him as Special Forces Colonel James Braddock, a super soldier that goes on a mission to save those still missing in action in Vietnam.

Braddock himself escaped from a Vietnamese POW camp, making the situation close to his heart. This flick was all about action, weaponry, and martial arts, and it spurred on sequels. A must see for Norris fans. Check Amazon rating » Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com Buy from Amazon This is widely believed to be one of Norris's best movies. Norris takes on a terrorist training camp known as The Octagon in a movie with an amazing amount of action. If you like flicks with ninjas in them, this one is for you. Check Amazon rating » Courtesy of Pricegrabber.com Chuck Norris - Biography - IMDb Chuck Norris Biography Showing all 133 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (8) | Trivia (85) | Personal Quotes (29) | Salary (4) Overview (4) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) Chuck Norris is familiar to fans worldwide as the star of action films such as The Hitman (1991), The Delta Force (1986) and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990).

He also starred in Missing in Action (1984) and its sequels, Firewalker (1986) and Sidekicks (1992). He was an executive producer of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) as well as the star. Chuck Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Wilma (Scarberry) and Ray Norris, who was a truck driver, mechanic, and bus driver. The eldest of three children, he helped his mother raise his two younger brothers in Torrance, CA, where his family moved when he was 12. Norris attended North Torrance High School from its inception in September, 1955 until his graduation in June, 1958. He is one of several storied alumni from the school.

Other NHS alumni include Bob Hite (1943-1981), who was the lead singer of "Canned Heat," Chris Demaria, who was a professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers organizations, Chris Mortensen, an analyst with ESPN, Hip-Hop DJ "Key-Kool" (Kikuo Nishi), and Wee-Man (Jason Acuna) of "JackAss fame." Norris joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. During a stint in Korea, he began to study the Asian martial art of Tang Soo Do. After returning home, he worked for Northrop Aviation and moonlighted as a karate instructor. Two years later he was teaching full-time and running a number of martial-arts schools. His students included Steve McQueen , Priscilla Presley and the Osmonds. Norris's fight career lasted from 1964-1974. Norris started off by losing his first three tournaments but, by 1966, he was almost unbeatable.

Among the numerous titles he won were The National Karate Championships (1966), All-Star Championships (1966), World Middleweight Karate Championship (1967), All-American Karate Championship (1967), Internationals (1968), World Professional Middleweight Karate Championship (defeating Louis Delgado on 24 November 1968), All-American Championship (1968), National Tournament of Champions (1968), American Tang Soo Championship, and the North American Karate Championship. Norris compiled a fight record of 65-5 with wins over champions Joe Lewis, Skipper Mullins, Arnold Urquidez, Ronald L. Marchini , Victor Moore, Louis Delgado, and Steve Sanders. Of the five men to beat Norris, three were Allen Steen, Joe Lewis, and Norris's last career defeat to Louis Delgado in 1968. Norris retired as undefeated Professional Full-Contact Middleweight Champion in 1974. Norris, who was urged to get into acting by his friend Steve McQueen , skillfully incorporates his martial-arts knowledge into his series and feature film projects, stressing action and technique over violence.

He is the author of the books "The Secret of Inner Strength" and "The Secret Power Within - Zen Solutions to Real Problems". He works for many charities, including the Funds for Kids, Veterans Administration National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, the United Way, Make-a-Wish Foundation and KickStart, a nonprofit organization he created to help battle drugs and violence in schools. He also starred in the television movie Blood In, Blood Out (1993), broadcast on CBS. He lives on a ranch when not filming. Uses taekwondo in his fight scenes Does a roundhouse kick whenever he's filming a martial arts fight Calm, reasonable voice The role of Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger (1993). Trivia (85) 1988: Campaigned for George Bush in the US presidential election. Eldest of three sons born to Ray and Wilma Norris. Chuck's brothers are Wieland Norris (born July 12, 1943; KIA in Vietnam, 1970) and Aaron Norris .

Aaron is the youngest of the trio, the proverbial "runt of the litter." Father of Mike Norris and Eric Norris , the latter of whom is a professional stock car driver. Their mother is Diane Holechek. Chuck also has a daughter named Dianna DeCioli (Dina). Dina was born in 1964, due to an extramarital affair when he was stationed in California in the US Air Force. More recently, on August 30, 2001, Chuck and Gena O'Kelly (his second wife) welcomed twins Dakota Alan (boy) and Danilee Kelly (girl). Often trained with Bruce Lee . 6-time World Karate Champion; among those he faced for this title are fellow actors Joe Lewis and Steve Sanders . He was the karate teacher of father-son actors Steve McQueen and Chad McQueen . The elder McQueen encouraged Norris to pursue a career in movies and television; allegedly, he told Chuck: "If you can't do anything else, there's always acting." 12/12/01: Received "Veteran of the Year 2001" honor at the 6th Annual American Veteran Awards.

In the movies where he's a police officer, Norris usually prefers to work alone (i.e. Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), Code of Silence (1985) and Top Dog (1995)). Has 3 grandchildren by son Eric Norris . Also has three grandchildren by daughter Dianna DeCioli. One of the grandchildren is fellow actress Gabby Di Ciolli . He has founded two of his own martial arts: Chun Kuk Do ("the Universal Way") and American Tang Soo Do. He is the Founder of the National Tang-Soo-Do Congress (NTC) and the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Chuck is also President of the latter. He has a 10th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, and also an 8th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do...that is, the Korean (or traditional) styles of each. His father Ray was killed in a car accident, shortly after cancer surgery. Part of Ray's throat and chin were removed; a tube was inserted in his trachea to help him breathe. Ray was thrown out of his car in the wreck, and the tube came out.

Ray suffocated on the ground because no one at the accident site was aware of the tube. His voice and drama coach was Jonathan Harris , of Lost in Space (1965) fame. Harris "taught him how to speak," by putting his fingers in Norris's mouth, and stretching the mouth wide open. Chuck names Jonathan as the only man in the world who could get away with doing that to him... which Harris was always proud of. It is commonly believed that he was offered the role of "Sensei Jon Kreese" in the original The Karate Kid (1984). He reportedly turned it down, claiming he did not want his name connected with such a brutal and vicious character. This is, in fact, an urban legend; Norris himself has disputed it. While appearing on the February 9, 2006 episode of the radio show hosted by Adam Carolla , Norris stated that he was never offered the role at all. Despite their vast political differences, he is friends with actress and comedienne Whoopi Goldberg . He was so impressed with a performance of hers that he tried, unsuccessfully, to get her a role in his film Invasion U.S.A. (1985).

Reader's Digest once noted a story of how Norris, true to his characters, prefers to find a non-violent way to solve a situation. Norris was in a bar once when a customer walked in and said to him, "You're in my seat. Move." Norris complied, and as the customer sat down, he recognized Norris. He then said, "Chuck, you could've kicked my butt if you wanted to. Instead of moving, why didn't you just attack me?" Norris' response: "What would that have accomplished?" Norris later said the experience resulted in him getting a new admirer and a new friend. Is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado Brothers. As a child, his idol and favorite actor was John Wayne . Indeed, their on screen personas bear much in common. Both achieved their highest level of fame playing no nonsense good guys who were incorruptible and did whatever it took to make sure that justice was served and that the bad guys got what they deserved. He is a staunch supporter of the Republican Party. Is an NRA member.

Is a close friend of legendary writer and director John Milius , who was an uncredited co-screenwriter of Norris's movie Lone Wolf McQuade (1983). Milius credits this film, in part with inspiring him to craft the similar Extreme Prejudice (1987), four years later. Enjoys playing golf and participates in many celebrity golfing events. A website known as "Chuck Norris Facts" has been created as a parody of his career, containing hundreds of absurdly creative statements about his intellect, strength, virility and image, such as 'Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane by pointing at it and yelling "Bang!".' Chuck is not offended by the website, in fact, has said he feels honored to have a website named after him and says he laughs when he reads the facts. He even used one fact in The Expendables 2 (2012): 'Chuck Norris was once bitten by a cobra. After five days of agonizing pain, the cobra finally died.'. Participated on the TV show The Contender (2005) with fellow action superstar Sylvester Stallone .

Was a guest star on The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectacular (2003) honoring Bob Barker 's 80th birthday. Other celebrity guests included Céline Dion , Ray Romano , Charlie Sheen and Larry King . Was the initial choice for the character of Red Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (1998), but was still filming Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), so he had to turn it down. 2004: Actively supported George W. Bush 's US Presidential re-election campaign. 8/30/01: Twins Dakota Alan and Danilee Kelly, with Gena O'Kelly , were born. 1/20/01: Attended the first inauguration of President George W. Bush along with fellow longtime Republican supporters Sylvester Stallone and Robert Duvall . Is only one of three Americans to achieve eighth-degree black belt status in tae-kwon-do. 2/14/06: Attended a Valentine's Day celebration at the White House, wearing black boots with his tuxedo.

Singer Michael Feinstein capped the romantic evening by serenading the crowd, which included new Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito , singer Wayne Newton and Senators Mitch McConnell and Joe Lieberman . 2006: Campaigned for Republicans in the mid-term elections, in which Republicans wound up losing control of both houses of Congress. He has English, with smaller amounts of Scottish, Welsh, and German, ancestry. He is also said to have Irish and Cherokee ancestry. 2006: He began writing a column for the right-wing political publication WorldNetDaily. In his columns he has expressed his beliefs that, among other things, evolution doesn't exist, those who are troubled should turn to Christ and "true patriots" would not support a separation of church and state. In addition, he also speaks on behalf of organizations pushing for mandatory prayer in public schools. Served in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife both serve on the board of the National Council of Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. Has played Ranger Cordell Walker in three different TV-series: Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), Sons of Thunder (1999) and Martial Law (1998).

Was offered the role of Steiner in Game of Death (1978), but turned it down. Publicly endorsed Mike Huckabee as his choice for Republican candidate in the 2008 presidential election. Publicly condemned The Golden Compass (2007) as anti-Christian. He is a close friend of President George W. Bush and his father, former President George Bush . Hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at his ranch in Navasota, Texas. Norris estimated more than 200 people paid at least $1,000 for a plate of barbecue and a chance to watch Huckabee play bass guitar with his band, Capitol Offense. Norris, who has frequently made public appearances in support of Huckabee, opened his sprawling East Texas ranch to the campaign and its supporters. (20 January 2008). Portrayed by Ray Park in The Legend of Bruce Lee (2008) (aka "The Legend of Bruce Lee") (TV series). Close friend and admirer of Sean Hannity . Best known by the public for his starring role as the title character in Walker, Texas Ranger (1993).

On an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), his co-star's, Clarence Gilyard Jr. , character read the book, "The Secret Power Within," which Norris wrote himself. He was made an honorary Marine in March 2007. Had a daughter, Dianna DeCioli (Dina) out of wedlock in 1964. He saw her for the first time in 1991, when she was 26. Her daughter is married and has three children. Chuck wrote about her in his book "Against All Odds: My Story". Attended Hamilton Junior High School in Houston, Texas in the early 1950s before moving to Torrance, California. Won in 2006 "The Jewish Humanitarian Man of the Year Award." Although a very vocal conservative Republican and born again Christian, Norris has ruled out running for elected office himself. Publicly endorsed former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore for Republican candidate as Governor of Alabama in the 2010 mid-term elections. Is a vocal secessionist. Once went under Phil McGraw 's training, and is his greatest student. Had a hip replacement in 2009.

In 2005 he founded the World Combat League, a full-contact, team-based martial arts competition. Lives in Dallas, Texas. Chuck and his brother, Aaron Norris , were made honorary Texas Rangers by Gov. Rick Perry on December 2, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. Out of all the Chuck Norris facts, his personal favorite is 'Before the Boogie Man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.'. Is one of three stars to have appeared in every episode of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993). A newly-built bridge spanning from Slovakia into neighboring Austria is to be named after Chuck Norris. His mother, Wilma Scarberry Norris Knight, a housewife and a waitress, was born on May 4, 1921. She had him when she was almost age 19. Columnist, World Net Daily. Acting mentor and friends of Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Sheree J. Wilson . Founder, the Lone Wolf Cigar Co., in 1996. Release of the book, "Chuck Norris" by Melanie Cole. [1999] Release of his book, "The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book".

[November 2009] Spokesperson for the Total Gym Fitness infomercials with his wife Gena and Christie Brinkley , that currently air in the late night or early morning hours. Also appearing is Wesley Snipes . [June 2006] Visited US forces fighting in Iraq. [November 2006] Release of his book, "The Justice Riders: A Novel" by Chuck Norris, Ken Abraham, Aaron Norris and Tim Grayem. [2006] Release of his book, "Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America". [2008] Release of his autobiography, "Against All Odds: My Story" by Chuck with Ken Abraham. [2004] Lives in Navasota, Texas with his family. [2009] Release of his book, "The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems" [1996] Knew Bill Bixby very well. Both Michael Landon and Dan Blocker studied karate under him, as well as Blocker's children. Has a karate studio in Norfolk, Virginia.

Sold his Dallas, Texas home on the market for $1.2 million [17 July 2013]. In August 2015, Norris appeared at the Unity March in Birmingham, Alabama. Based in Texas, he helped out Texas Governer Greg Abbott during his gubernatorial campaign in 2014. Declared his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in July 2016, and warned that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would destroy the United States if elected. Personal Quotes (29) Whatever luck I had, I made. I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration and took the time necessary to learn karate and become world champion. It's the bullies who are afraid, are the ones that do all the fighting. It's not the secure kids that get out there and fight. It's the insecure kids. And when you develop that security in these youngsters and all of a sudden they have no reason to fight . . . This is to me the most gratifying thing I've ever been able to do.

Today, more than ever, the inspiration for the parts I play is found in you - our nation's men and women in uniform and the selfless contributions you make on a daily basis to keep our country safe and free. I salute you. I haven't always been warmly welcomed for holding my conservative positions in Hollywood. Then again, I've never been very good at being politically correct either, on or off screen. So why start now? For too many years I was in rebellion to God. Now I'm a rebel with a cause for God and for grassroots America. I no longer fit the mold. I'm not a liberal actor from Hollywood. I'm not politically correct, in my opinions or my practice. And though I'm concerned with what people think, I will not compromise the truth in any form to cater to others, even with religion and politics. Those who would merely brand me on the Right are oversimplifying and running from the real issue. Alleged Chuck Norris Fact: "There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live." It's funny. It's cute. But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not real. It is not the way we got here.

In fact, the life you see on this planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live. We are not creations of random chance. We are not accidents. There is a God, a Creator, who made you and me. We were made in His image, which separates us from all other creatures. Alleged Chuck Norris Fact: "Faster than a speeding bullet ... more powerful than a locomotive ... able to leap tall buildings in a single bound... yes, these are some of Chuck Norris' warm-up exercises." I've got a bulletin for you, folks. I am no superman. I realize that now, but I didn't always. As six-time world karate champion and then a movie star, I put too much trust in who I was, what I could do and what I acquired. I forgot how much I needed others and especially God. Whether we are famous or not, we all need God. We also need other people. Alleged Chuck Norris Fact: "Chuck Norris' tears can cure cancer. Too bad he never cries. Ever." There was a man whose tears could cure cancer or any other disease, including the real cause of all diseases - sin. His blood did.

His name was Jesus, not Chuck Norris. If your soul needs healing, the prescription you need is not Chuck Norris' tears, it's Jesus' blood. [on Bruce Lee ] Bruce Lee had bad eyesight and one leg that was shorter than the other. But he had a mental image of what he wanted, and he became the quintessential martial artist and the first Chinese superstar in American films. There are a dozen death spots, another dozen paralyzing death spots, and many, many disabling spots on the body. We human beings are quite fragile, you know. After years of learning to control my emotions in karate, I found it very difficult to reverse that process and fully express them. But I learn from my mistakes and develop more as an actor with each film role. I don't initiate violence, I retaliate. There has always been violence on the screen, and certain groups claim that some antisocial behavior can be traced to these violent films. I believe that's hogwash. The violence on television news programs is much more harmful because it's real. We all have the potential to be violent, but we must learn to control these impulses. Any GOP candidate can be dissected to a point that he is railed for having liberal tendencies.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has waffled enough around his pro-abortion, pro-gay, pro-gun control views to recruit many Democratic supporters. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has flip-flopped so many times on issues of abortion, immigration and gay rights to make one wonder for what party he's running. Texas Representative Ron Paul 's bent toward being an isolationist who wants to bring home every one of our 572,000 troops abroad makes the anti-terror, pro-military hairs on the back of my neck stand. Though Senator John McCain of Arizona is a friend and a true, decorated hero who I personally think would make an excellent vice president for Mike, he opposed the Bush tax cuts and co-authored legislation for comprehensive immigration reform that some believe jeopardizes national security and American sovereignty.

And while former Tennessee Senator Fred Dalton Thompson is also a friend, his record of consistently voting against tort reform, opposing the impeachment of Bill Clinton on perjury, supporting opponents of Ronald Reagan [ Gerald Ford and James Baker III ] in 1976 and 1980, and failing to support federal constitutional amendments that would ban abortion and gay marriage doesn't exactly make him "the only true conservative." To be fair, even if Reagan himself were running today, he likely couldn't dodge liberal labeling, especially for his signing of the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986, which granted amnesty to aliens who resided in the U.S. since before 1982. [on Sen. John McCain ] If John takes over the presidency at seventy-two and he ages 3-to-1, how old will he be in four years? Eighty-four years old--and can he handle that kind of pressure in that job? That's why I didn't pick John to support, because I'm just afraid the Vice President will wind up taking over his job within that four-year presidency. I've known John McCain for over twenty years.

He's a man of integrity, but a lot of his social issues, I didn't lean toward. I'm not a Republican or Democrat. I'm conservative. Now that John has brought someone like Sarah Palin on the ticket, it makes me more confident that they could do a tremendous job in the White House. My choice would be John McCain and Sarah Palin mainly because, with Sarah, I think she'd make a good president because she's a no-nonsense gal and she has much more experience than Barack Obama . Europe now is not infatuated with Barack Obama anymore. They are infatuated with Sarah Palin. I admire those in the recent past who were able to represent a respectful conservatism in a liberal-leaning, show-business industry: men like Charlton Heston , John Wayne , James Stewart and Ronald Reagan . And I'm grateful for others today who have also stood for conservative values, incredible actors like Jim Caviezel , Mel Gibson and Jon Voight . Jon has recently stepped up to the plate for thousands of others who can't because they'd be cast aside by casting directors if their conservatism was even made known. Jon is taking the brunt end for them from critics who have no tolerance for actors on the right.

These are the type of men who will go against the grain of the Hollywood status quo. These are the type of men who get the fact that entertainment isn't about playing party politics. These are the type of men who demonstrate what my hero and the stalwart conservative John Wayne once said, "Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway." I think we're heading down the wrong direction. We need to restore patriotism as the founders meant it to be. We need to restore our sense of stability, morality and our responsibility. I think we have drifted from that. We just need to get back like our founding fathers. I do a lot of reading about our founding fathers and on our history, you know. They had a vision for America that was not corrupted by greed and power and I think unfortunately many of our politicians have fallen into that trap. I may run for president of Texas. That need may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state. Anyone who has been around Texas for any length of time knows exactly what we'd do if the going got rough in America.

With The Expendables 2 (2012), you have a lot of hard language in there that means that young people won't be able to see it. I said, I don't do movies like that. I didn't do them in the past, I didn't do them on my TV series. I said, you have to cut out all the hardcore language or I can't do it. So they did, and Expendables is now a PG-13 film so kids can see it. [on Silent Rage] It was about a psycho who couldn't die. It's amazing that out of all my films, it's the one that makes the most people come up to me and say, "Are you going to do a sequel?" I say: "What would I do? I tried every way in the world to kill that guy. Finally, I had to dump him down a well. There's nothing else I could do to him." [on Invasion U.S.A.] That's the one I shot in Atlanta and Miami.

I wrote that screenplay [after] I got the story out of a Reader's Digest, which talked about what would happen if terrorists came into our country and started blowing up schools and buses and airplanes - things that would isolate our transportation system. [It was like] 9/11. Of course, in the film it was the Russians who were trying to scare us into not leaving our homes. And I saved the day. [on Code of Silence][Code of Silence] was my biggest critical success. I played a cop in Chicago, and Dennis Farina was one of my co-stars. It was probably the first movie where the critics really praised me. They called me the next John Wayne. [on Return of the Dragon] Yeah, that was amazing. Bruce had left for Hong Kong to pursue his movie career, and I didn't hear from him for a couple of years. Then he called me out of the blue and asked if I would be his opponent in this new movie, which he was directing, as well.

He said, "I'm going to do this big fight scene in the Colosseum in Rome - a fight to the death, like two gladiators." And kiddingly I went, "Well, who wins, Bruce?" And he said, "I win; I'm the star of this movie." I said, "Oh, I see." Because I held the world title then, I said, "So you want to beat the world champion?" And he said, "No, I want to kill the world champion." I said, "Oh ... OK." [on Delta Force] That was a good one, too, because it was a privilege to work with Lee Marvin. He was an incredible guy, a real macho guy. He was known for criticizing everybody - all his co-stars - and he never said nice things. Then they interviewed him right after we did Delta Force and asked him about me. He said: "I liked him. He was a cool guy." So I thought, "Thank goodness." [on Hero and the Terror] That was shot here in Los Angeles. It was a scary movie. The bad guy was a monster, a huge guy. It was OK, but it wasn't one of my favorites.

[on Top Dog] It was interesting working with a dog - even though they always say, "Never work with dogs or children." This dog was incredibly smart. I was doing a scene where the dog and I were running, and we both had our marks to land on. I ran up and looked - and missed my mark by two or three feet - but the dog landed right on his. And they said, "Chuck, if a dog can land on his, you can sure as heck land on yours!" I have to say I'm proud of them all. My favorite? That's a tough one because each has a special [meaning] to me. The Missing in Action films were very special because they were really the ones that [took] me to a higher level [where I was] more in demand. They helped spearhead my career. Of course, Code of Silence is special because it was a critical success. And Lone Wolf McQuade was a fun film. Salary (4)

Question: What's the name of the character in the 'Missing in Action' films played by Chuck Norris?
Answer: Colonel James Braddock